While walking like an anime character in a short video edit that you might often see on your feed, Arthur felt like he had forgotten something.
Suddenly, "Blooop...." Bounciechomie jumped onto Arthur's head.
Arthur remembered—he had left his homie behind. Bounciechomie had been captured, but Arthur caught him just in time. He cradled the slime in his arms, crossing them as he held it. The slime bounced up and down on Arthur's head.
Blop... Blop... >_<
Arthur understood that the slime was angry. "Hahaha... sorry, I forgot about you!" Arthur chuckled.
Casca glanced at Arthur, giving him a weird look. "Is that slime your pet?"
Bounciechomie glared at Casca with angry eyes, bouncing on Arthur's arm.
Blop... Blop..... >_<
"Yeah, he's my pet," Arthur replied.
The slime turned to look at Arthur.
Blop... Blop... >_<
"Ah... I mean, he's my friend."
Blooooppp... :)
"Weirdo," said Casca.
As their feet brought them closer to the city gate, Arthur gazed at a scene he'd only seen on screens before. His eyes sparkled like an otaku seeing a figure of his favorite VTuber for the first time.
As they entered the city, Arthur became even more amazed by the sights around him. He saw merchants interacting with each other—characters he'd previously only known as NPCs in a game.
"Hey, don't wander off. Follow me!" Casca said firmly.
"Relax, I'm just looking around. I won't go anywhere," Arthur replied, gently stroking Bounciechomie.
Not long after, they arrived at a building marked by a sword-and-shield logo above the entrance.
Casca opened the door, and Arthur followed behind her. The atmosphere inside was lively, with several groups engaged in animated discussions at their respective tables.
Arthur continued to follow Casca, his eyes eagerly darting around, unable to conceal his amazement at the people he saw: a man in armor reminiscent of an anime MC who hunted goblins; a short, muscular old man who looked like an expert blacksmith straight out of fantasy; a mage radiating strong mommy vibes; and various demi-human races that typically populated an otaku's fantasies. These individuals reignited Arthur's long-dormant otaku spirit.
They arrived at the receptionist's desk.
"Casca..." greeted a cat-eared receptionist warmly. Her eyes quickly glanced at Arthur, who was still curiously looking around. The receptionist had a gentle Onee-chan vibe about her.
With a teasing smile, she said, "Wow... I never expected you'd have a boyfriend."
Casca frowned irritably. "He's not my boyfriend! He just wants to register as an adventurer," she retorted sharply.
Arthur, overhearing their conversation, could only smile faintly.
"Ahhaha... Sorry about that. By the way, my name is Rae," the receptionist introduced herself.
'Rae, huh? Hmm... reminds me of my favorite actress back then,' Arthur thought.
"Is something wrong?" Rae asked.
"Ah... no, nothing," Arthur replied.
"By the way, do you keep a slime as a pet?" Rae asked curiously.
Blop... Blop... >_<
Bounciechomie was upset again, prompting Arthur to say, "He's my friend..."
"Oh, forgive me, little friend. I didn't mean to look down on you," Rae said gently.
Blop... Blop... :D
Rae giggled softly at Bounciechomie's adorable reaction, then placed a card on the reception desk. It looked like an ID card with a small patterned square on the bottom-right corner.
"Here's your card. Please press your thumb on this little square," Rae explained, pointing to the spot, "And then—"
"Ahh... you're taking too long," Casca interrupted impatiently, grabbing Arthur's hand.
Click....
Arthur's thumb pressed onto the small square.
[ DING ]
A holographic screen, about the size of a computer monitor, appeared before him.
[ Registration Successful ]
Name: Arthur D. Bump
Rank: F
Further information is hidden to maintain the adventurer guild member's privacy.
The holographic display faded away, and new letters emerged directly onto the card in his hand.
[ Owner: Arthur D. Bump ]
Arthur took the card, his eyes filled with awe. 'Now I'm starting to remember clearly—this card functions as—' Before he could even finish his thought, Rae interrupted him.
"Ahem..." Rae cleared her throat politely, "The fee for the ID card is 50 gold. Yours is Bronze, naturally, since you've just registered."
She went on to explain that the guild's cards had tiers starting from Bronze, then Silver, Gold, Platinum, and finally Diamond. Each upgrade required paying an additional fee to the guild.
'I don't recall reading about these details in the novel,' Arthur thought to himself.
Rae smiled again, explaining further, "The Bronze card in your hand now has an inventory function that can hold up to ten lightweight items, each weighing less than five kilograms."
Arthur nodded, understanding the basic features now.
Then Rae extended an open palm towards him with a gentle smile, "And... your payment?"
Arthur flinched slightly, caught completely off guard. Of course, he was still broke in this world. He hadn't even breathed for 24 hours yet in this novel's world—let alone earned a single coin.